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AMROY'B. SMITH, OF YANKTON, DAKOTA TERRITORY, ASSIGNOR TO HIM- SELF AND FRANK M. SMITH, OF CHICAGO,v ILLINOIS.

Letters Patent No. 70,036, dated October 22, 1867.

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TO ALL 'WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, AMROY B. SMITH, of Yankton, and Territory of Dakota, have invented a new and improlvcd Propeller and Current-Wheel; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 is aside elevation of my invention,

Figure 2 is a top view of the same, and

Figure 3 is a top view showing al modification of the construction of the wheels.

This invention is a device which can be used as an endless-chain propeller for stcamboats, or as awaterwheel to be rotated by a. running stream for the purpose of furnishing motive power to drive machinery.

My apparatus consists of two large shafts, each carrying a wheel on each of its extremities. The wheels belonging to the same shaft are united bystrong bars extending between the outer ends of their spokes or radial arms.v Over the connecting-bars runs an endless belt, consisting of two endless chains, one near each wheel, connected together by strong rods. The belt carries paddles or buckets on its outer surface, which, as y it revolves, dip into the water and propel the boat along. When used as a water-wheel, the current impinges against the buckets and turns the wheels. y

Similar letters of reference indicate correspondingparts in the several figures.

In the drawings, AIA', the large compound wheels, composed of the end wheels a a', united at their centre by the shafts B B, upon which they run, and at their circumt'erence by the stout bars O C, extending from the extremities of the spokes of one of the end wheels a upon each shaft to the extremities of the spokes of its companion wheel a at the other end of the same shaft. The stout bars C C are provided with a stout ledge or raised hed, extending along theircentre on that side whichl is farthest from the shaft B that carries the wheels to which they are attached. This bed or ledge is deeply grooved along its upper surface, as shown at c c. The

ends of the bars are turned up, as shown at e e, to prevent the endless chains from running of( of the wheels.

`'.Ihe spokes of the wheels are so arranged 'that when any spoke,s, of one of the wheels a is in a vertical posi tion, the wheel a running on the other shaft will 4not have any of its spokes on that side vertical, but will have two spokes, s s, situated at equal distances on each side of a vertical line, as shown in iig. l. The object ofv this particular arrangement is to cause the endless belt to run evenly. If it were arranged otherwise, the centre of the belt, between the two compound wheels A A', would be constantly oscillating up and down, as its endsrested alternately on a single bar directly `'over the'axle, as at e, tig. 1, or on two bars on each side of a vertical line through the axle, as at z' z, Iig. 1. The spokes being-thus arranged, the ends of those on the' same wheel are connected by stout braces b b tc steady and strengthen the wheels. Over the two compoundl wheels A A thus constructed runs an endless belt, D, composed of two endless chains, D D, connected by the stout rods r r. Each chain is made of `a series-ot` strong plates pp, hinged together as shown at h h, the length df the plates from the centres of thc hinges bcing'exactly equal tc the distance from the centre of any connecting-bar O to the centre-oi` the adjacent connecting-bar. The rods r r are attached at the hinges vh hi By this arrangement each hinge, in passing over a wheel, will rest in the channel c of the connecting-bar. The

cndlesshelt will thus be held rmly and steadily on the wheels, without any possibility of slipping, and in such a manner as not to wear or warp it out of shape, while at the 'same' time it does not in the slightest interfere with the motion of the wheels. The chains D D", running between the ends of the channelled beds on the bars C C, and the turned-up ends of the bars over the wheels a a will .be prevented from slipping in either direction.:l The weight of each chain D Dl will evidently be borne by the wheel directly under it. To the outer's'urface of the endless belt thus constructed and operating are attached buckets or paddles M M of the form shown in the drawings, resting on edge on the plates p p, one paddle at the centre of each plate. Whenl the apparatus is used as a propelling-wheel for boats the buckets or paddles are simple plain boards, as shown at M M. When used as a current-wheel for impelling machinery the paddles should be curved, as shown at M', the concavcside being presented toward the current t0 receive its impact. Each bucket is fastened securely in its place by braces m m on each side. It may be additionally secured and strengthened by stoutplates,

t v 2 v o o, bent at right angles and fastened to the buckets, and to the plates on each side of every bucket, as shown at 1t n, figs. l and 2. The apparatus may be further strengthened by anotherwheel running between the wheels a a', as shown in iig. 3, and by another endless chain, D, attached to the buckets in their centre. In case more than two wheels and chains are used in constructing the large wheelsAAl and belt D, they will be formed and connected with the other parts of the apparatus in themanner above described, those changes only being made which any skillful mechanic can suggest to adapt theni. to their position. One or more large wheels may be used between the 'wheelsA A to sustain the centre of the endless belt, iffound necessary.

Ido not intend to confine myself to that particularconstruction of the pieces e e which consists, as here shown, in forming them by bending up the ends of the bars C C, but I may formy the pieces e e ofy separate bevelled blocks bolted to the periphery or side of the wheels aa', or I may simply extend the ends of the spokesl beyond the periphery and bevel them down for the purpose.

The shafts B B may be connected by a pitman and cranks, so as to run always at the same speed and maintain the same relative position toward cach other.

I am aware that an endless chain carrying buckets or paddles has been used before for propelling vessels. I do not broadly claim such a device as my invention; but what I do claim as new, and'k desire to secure by Letters Patent, is the following, viz:

1. 'The polygonal wheels A A, each having an odd number of angles, When so placed in relation to each other thatwhen an angle of one is vertically above its shaft two'angles of the other shall be equidistant from a vertical rline passing through its shaft, in combination with tlse endless chain of buckets, in the manner described.

I2. The endless belt D composed of the plates p p, constructed as shown, and connected by the hinges 7i k and rods 7 1', and bearing the buckets M M, when constructed and operating substantially in the manner and for the purposes specitied.

' 3. The combination of the belt D and wheels A A in such a manner that in passing over the wheels the hinges 7L t and connecting-rods 7' r ofthe belt shall rest on and be supported by the bars C C, substantially as and for the purposes shown.l K g v 4. The connecting-bars C 0,'having the channelled bed in their centre and their extremities bent up, sul stantially as and .for the purposes set forth.

To the above specification of myimproveulent I have signed my -h'and this twentieth day of August, 1857.

A AMROY B. SMITH. Witnesses z JAMES I-I. GaIDLEi-, CHARLES A. Partrr'r. 

